Atlanta Jewish Community

Atlanta’s supplemental Jewish education programs look quite different these days, and it’s not just because they are adapting to a pandemic. In several prominent programs throughout the community, there are fresh faces who assumed new leadership roles during this challenging and exciting time. We extend a warm welcome to the following dedicated and talented Jewish Educators: 

Sharon Graetz is the new Education Director at Ahavath Achim Synagogue. Sharon is a graduate of the Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, with M.A.’s in Jewish Education and Jewish Nonprofit Management.  Sharon has a wide range of experience, from programming at the Westside Jewish Community Center in Los Angeles, to being part of the leadership team at Jewish Kids Groups in Atlanta. Most recently, she enjoyed her role as Limudim Director at IKAR in L.A., collaborating with students, staff, and families to revitalize kids’ learning. Sharon is driven by her passion to infuse deep Jewish learning with positive and fun experiences. Sharon is drawn to project-based learning, a method in which students take the lead in their education, responding to authentic and engaging questions. She is excited to offer a vibrant program at AA with opportunities for students to engage in real-world and meaningful projects with the goal of making Jewish tradition relevant and inspiring. 

Amy Cooper Robertson, Ph.D is the new Director of Lifelong Learning at Congregation Or Hadash. Amy began her career in academia, earning a PhD in Religion/Hebrew Bible from Emory and teaching Tanakh, Judaism, Biblical Hebrew, and critical thinking and writing. Amy later shifted her focus to Jewish communal work and has found that the intersection of community building, program leadership and Jewish learning is her favorite place to be. Amy served as the Education Director and later the Executive Director at Congregation Bet Haverim, taught Judaics at The Davis Academy, served as Rosh Chinuch at Camp Havaya in the Poconos, and tutored many b’nai mitzvah students.  She is passionate about projects of “practical innovation” – identifying and addressing the barriers that keep Jews from engaging more deeply with learning and community. Amy is very happy to be back in an educational leadership role and is excited to begin a new chapter at Or Hadash

Jewish Kids Groups has three new Site Directors! 

Jordana “Joey” Heyman is JKG’s new Brookhaven Director. Joey has committed nearly two decades to Jewish education, working in both teacher and administrator roles in overnight and day camps, day schools, and youth groups. Joey earned a Masters in Experiential Education from American Jewish University and completed a post-graduate fellowship in Jewish Education and Advanced Jewish Studies through the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem before moving to Atlanta, where she is consistently inspired by our broad and innovative Jewish community. Joey is passionate about helping people find themselves in Judaism and brings a focus on community building and conflict resolution to JKG.

Gabe Monett is JKG’s new Decatur Director. He has spent the majority of his post–collegiate career creating Jewish community for all ages. Through his roles with Jewish organizations including Repair the World, Ramah Darom, and Moishe House, he has honed his passion for connecting and bringing people together. A local Atlantan through and through, Gabe grew up in the Emory area and attended the Paideia School for thirteen years before earning a Film Studies degree from Georgia State University. 

Sivan Abada is JKG’s new Sandy Springs Director. Sivan is involved in communication with families, planning, curriculum development, team management, administration, and program initiatives. Sivan was born and raised in Israel. Following her service in the IDF, Sivan studied Behavioral Sciences and graduated from Ariel University. She has an extensive background in human resources management. Her interest in education grew when she was an instructor in Israeli summer camps, where she planned creative activities for children. Sivan brings her passion for camp-style education, love for Israel, and her unique teaching philosophy to the JKG community.

Michelle Erste is the new Director of the Mitzner Family Religious School and Family Programming at Temple Kehillat Chaim. Michelle has been a Jewish educator for seven years, serving as a religious school and Hebrew teacher at Kehillat Chaim for children in Pre-K through 7th grade. Having already invested many hours in lesson planning, preparation, and teaching, Michelle loved the idea of being able to have a larger role in her children’s – and all of TKC’s children’s – Jewish education. She grew up in the congregation herself, and she was thrilled to step up to assume a larger role in the education program and to give back to her community. Michelle is especially excited to use her marketing background to help Kehillat Chaim grow and thrive! 

Hope Chernak, RJE, is the Interim Education Director at Temple Kol Emeth. Hope earned an M.A. degree in Religious Education at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, and the title Reform Jewish Educator (RJE). She was a 2016 recipient of the Grinspoon North American Award for Excellence in Jewish Education and received a certificate in Israel Education from the Center for Israel Education in 2016. She also has a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management and Marketing from Webber International University. Hope has worked in Jewish education for over twenty years. Prior to joining Temple Kol Emeth, she served as the founding Executive Director of JUMPSPARK: the Atlanta Jewish Teen Initiative (AJTI), and Chief Programming Officer at the MJCCA. In New York City, she served as the Managing Director of the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) and the Director of Youth and Informal Education & Israel Programs at Temple Shaaray Tefila. Originally from Orlando, FL, Hope spent eight summers on staff at Camp Coleman. Hope is thrilled to have joined the team at Temple Kol Emeth, to partner with the rabbi, leadership and staff to support and build upon the education program’s exceptional foundation. 

Between March-May 2020, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported a 3% average weekly increase (over the same months in 2019) in the number of drug and/or alcohol-related ER visits, and a terrifying climb in opioid-related overdose deaths.   The call volume at JF&CS’s HAMSA program (Helping Atlantans Manage Substance Abuse) reflects the trend. HAMSA is seeing a 40% surge in calls from families who are not only seeking support and treatment for their loved ones, but for themselves. Coping with a family member’s addiction is never easy, and the isolation that comes with COVID-19 complicates access to treatment.  

Right now, we are all experiencing the pain and isolation inflicted by COVID. These feelings are especially dangerous for people with substance use disorder (SUD). They may be quarantined and unable to make the vital human connections that help maintain recovery, which may lead to relapse and increased use. Addiction is called a “family disease,” and being confined at home with loved ones who are in active addiction may create even greater stress within the family system.   

HAMSA frequently receives calls from Jewish parents who ask to remain anonymous or don’t want to share their contact information. They are fearful that someone will find out their child is addicted to drugs or alcohol and that their family will be judged. Drug overdoses and alcohol-related deaths, which have tragically impacted many Jewish families, are now the leading cause of preventable injury and death, eclipsing auto accidents and gun violence. These deaths are avoidable when we begin to understand addiction as a treatable disease.   

HAMSA is helping to find and create safe spaces that bring connection, understanding, and hope. Many family and parent peer support groups are still meeting via Zoom, and HAMSA can help you find them. The JF&CS clinical team provides individual and family counseling, offers a group for spouses and partners of a person with SUD, and a new parent group will begin in the fall. Navigating the world of addiction treatment can often feel overwhelming for parents and families, especially during the pandemic when the options are more limited. JF&CS’s free Information and Referral Service can help you identify the right treatment options that meet your needs and resources. It also provides free Narcan (opioid overdose antidote) training and supply to the community, as well as outreach and education.  

In response to the increased needs of families, HAMSA welcomes David Sheff, author of the best-selling book Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction, August 20 from 7-8 pm, for a free event via Zoom. Sheff understands the stigma and shame Jewish families feel when a child is addicted. His book describes the years he walked the rocky path that ultimately led to his son Nic’s recovery. The presentation will include intimate conversation about the dynamics of addiction in families. Sheff ultimately found hope and healing by sharing his story and connected with thousands of families just like his own. Reserve your free ticket and learn more at jfcsatl.org/davidsheff 

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction and needs help finding resources or support, call 1-833-HAMSAHELPS or visit HAMSAHELPS.org 

It’s undeniable that we’re living in remarkable times. Years from now, when historians and scholars chronicle the 2020 global Coronavirus pandemic, there will be a treasure trove of Jewish artifacts and personal accounts of triumph and tragedy, thanks to our own William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum. The Breman is one of six Jewish institutions cataloging and preserving artifacts of the pandemic as it has impacted Jewish communities. (The others are the Capital Jewish Museum; the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life; Hebrew Theological College, the Houston Jewish History Archive at Rice University; and Yeshiva University). Together they are digitally archiving the Jewish institutional and individual responses to the pandemic.

The kippah mask pictured above, by Atlanta’s Eve Mannes, uses a kippah from her husband’s collection and illustrates a creative Jewish response to the need for face coverings. You can see many items on display at American Jewish Life, the digital archive, and you are invited to share your own materials and memories. Follow instructions on the site to contribute media files (photographs, videos, URLs, audio files) or submit your own narrative.